ROCHESTER — The school district is considering establishing a payment plan for Spaulding High School’s ice hockey team, which includes a pay-to-play program, with fundraising options available to work off the $1,000 fee per student. After much deliberation Thursday night, the Finance Committee voted to pass the plan onto the full Rochester School Board, which will meet next Thursday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. in City Hall. Six committee members voted in favor of the plan, with School Board Chairman Bob Watson voting against it. He said he didn’t like the idea of other teams following suit and said, if required, the school district would pitch in more funds to help.“I’m concerned about where it would lead,” he said. “Community service is great but I think community service should be on a voluntary basis. The hockey team has been doing this on a voluntary basis for years.”Spaulding High’s athletic department recently approached the board, revealing the price for the team’s “ice time” is about $33,000 per season, for use of the ice rink at the Rochester Arena on Lowell Street. But, the school budget provides only $15,000. Hockey Coach Paul George said the team relies on a large amount of fundraising to make up the difference, but many families have not been contributing lately. The department’s compromise is to charge each family $1,000 per student, with opportunities for family members to work off that amount. For example, families could get $100 off for each, night worked at Sunday bingo at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) building on Highland Street. Other players could sell more discount cards.Athletic Director Kevin Hebert presented more information to the board, including a listing of nearby towns and how they have handled their ice bills in the past. According to his research, Kingswood High School in Wolfeboro charges $700 per player for their ice hockey times, and Somersworth’s school district charges each student $1,150 in fundraising, with a $1,500 “buy out.” Hebert noted at Spaulding High, the ski team pays $70 for lift tickets per season, and the swim team spends just $40 for bathing suits, which can be reused. Spaulding High School Hockey Boosters’ President Heidi Hatch told the board their ultimate goal is for every player’s family to fundraise, rather than pay the $1,000. George added no student would be turned away in this process. “If they chose to buy out, we don’t want them too, but if they chose to, we would (charge) $1,000,” Hatch said. Spaulding High Principal Rob Seward said a large part of this idea comes for wanting players to take more proactive steps to give back to their community. “It’s important to recognize, … we’re trying to instill in the kids that they need to step up. They need to have some community service … In this case we’re asking hockey players to show a little bit of initiative,” Seward said, noting in the past, most players have participated. “What we’re really doing now is formalizing that process with (the Rochester School Board).”School Board member Anthony Pastelis said while concerned about Watson’s idea of a “slippery slope,” where other sports teams would request a payment plan in the future, he was in favor of the idea. “I will vote in favor of it only because of the time involved and we don’t have much time here,” Pastelis said. “(But), I would hate for us to become a pay-to-play district. I would absolutely hate it. Whatever happened to the days of kids playing free sports?”Board member Julie Brown asked the representatives of the team and the athletic department to keep the board informed of how the implementation of the payment process goes. She added many of the board members already expressed an interest in volunteering at the bingo nights to help out students, too. “I expect every able-bodied parent to pitch in and help and to participate,” Brown said. “It’s important for everybody to pull their fair share of the load.”George tried to quell Watson’s concerns, referring to the potential “Pandora’s box,” but assured him hockey is a far more expensive sport than others in the district. George said team jerseys cost about $120 for example, as compared to football jerseys that cost $70. He pointed out there is less funding for ice hockey coming from the school district, and said you could not compare ice hockey to other district sports. “In all the other sports, you’re completely funding them. You’re also providing a facility,” George said. “… I’m not seeing how (this) could correlate to any other program. You’ve picked up the complete package for every other facility, … the buses, the uniforms (and) that’s all good. We’re just trying to take care of that portion where the district falls off.”